导读：爱德华八世（1894—1972），全名爱德华·阿尔伯特·克里斯蒂安·乔治·安德鲁·帕特里克·大卫。从1936年1月20日其父驾崩至1936年12月11日主动让位，他当了不到一年的英国国王。爱德华是唯一一个自愿退位的英国君主。1936年12月10日他签署退位的文件，次日英国国会批准爱德华退位。他退位后，头衔由国王爱德华八世变为了他作为王储时期的爱德华王子，1937年5月8日，他成为温莎公爵。“二战”期间，他作为英国军事代表常驻法国，战后，退休度过余生。本篇为爱德华八世告别演说。
At long last I am able to say a few words of my own. I have never wanted to withhold anything，but until now it has not been constitutionally possible for me to speak.
A few hours ago I discharged my last duty as King and Emperor，and now that I have been succeeded by my brother，the Duke of York，my first words must be to declare my allegiance to him. This I do with all my heart.
You all know the reasons which have impelled me to renounce the throne . But I want you to understand that in making up my mind I did not forget the country or the empire，which，as Prince of Wales and lately as King，I have for twenty－five years tried to serve.
But you must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties asking as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.
And I want you to know that the decision I have made has been mine and mine alone. This was a thing I had to judge entirely for myself. The other person most nearly concerned has tried up to the last to persuade me to take a different course.
I have made this, the most serious decision of my life, only upon the single thought of what would, in the end, be best for all.
This decision has been made less difficult to me by the sure knowledge that my brother，with his long training in the public affairs of this country and with his fine qualities，will be able to take my place forthwith without interruption or injury to the life and progress of the empire. And he has one matchless blessing，enjoyed by so many of you，and not bestowed on me — a happy home with his wife and children.
During these hard days I have been comforted by her majesty my mother and by my family. The ministers of the crown，and in particular，Mr. Baldwin，the Prime Minister，have always treated me with full consideration. There has never been any constitutional difference between me and them，and between me and Parliament. Bred in the constitutional tradition by my father，I should never have allowed any such issue to arise.
Ever since I was Prince of Wales，and later on when I occupied the throne，I have been treated with the greatest kindness by all classes of the people wherever I have lived or journeyed throughout the empire. For that I am very grateful.
I now quit altogether public affairs and I lay down my burden. It may be some time before I return to my native land，but I shall always follow the fortunes of the British race and empire with profound interest and if at any time in the future I can be found of service to his majesty in a private station，I shall not fail.
And now，we all have a new King. I wish him and you，his people，happiness and prosperity with all my heart. God bless you all！God save the King！
经过许多周折以后，我终于能说几句心里话了。我从来不想抑制自己，但是根据宪法，在此时以前我不可能说出自己的话。
几小时前，我卸去了作为国王和皇帝的最后责任，继承我的是我的弟弟约克公爵，我首先要声明我对他的忠诚。我真心实意地作出这一表示。
你们都知道促使我放弃王位的原因。但我要你们理解：在做出这个决定时，我没有忘记在25年中我作为威尔士亲王和后来作为国王力图为之尽力的国家和帝国。
但是，倘若我告诉你们，如果没有我所爱的女人的帮助和支持，我觉得不可能按照我本来的意愿承担起这副重担，履行国王的责任，你们应该相信我。
我还要你们知道，这个决定仅仅是我一人做出的。这是一件完全得由我独自进行判断的事情。与此事最密切相关的另一个人直至最后还在劝我采取一种不同的做法。
按照结局要对各方面都合适这个唯一的想法，我做出了一生中最重要的决定。
我的弟弟，在我国公众事务中得到过长期的锻炼，并具有优秀的品质，因此，当我确实知道他将立即接替我而不致给帝国的生活和进展带来障碍和损害时，我做出这个决定就不那么困难了。而且他拥有一种你们中许多人都享有、而上帝没有赐予我的无与伦比的幸福——他与妻子和孩子组成的快乐家庭。
在这些困难的日子里，我受到母后陛下和我的家族的安慰。王国政府的大臣们，特别是首相鲍德温先生，始终给予我充分的体谅。在我与他们之间，在我与国会之间，从未在遵守宪法的问题上产生过分歧。我的父亲根据宪法传统把我教养成人，我决不会让任何这类问题出现。
自从我当威尔士亲王之时起，以及在以后登上王位的日子里，无论我居住在，或旅行于帝国的什么地方，所有各阶层的人民都以最大的善意对待我。我对此十分感激。
现在我完全退出了公众事务，放下了我的负担。可能还要一段时间我才能回到故乡，但我将以深切的关心注视着大不列颠人民和帝国的命运，在未来任何时候，如果国王陛下发现我能以私人身份做点什么的话，我决不会辜负这种期望。
而现在，我们大家有了一位新的国王。我真心诚意地祝愿他和你们，即他的人民幸福，昌盛。愿上帝保佑你们大家！上帝保佑国王！
